[Epilogue] Words between knights

Kevan found him sitting by himself in one of the more quite corners of the Huntsman, observing the other guests.
There is little you dont notice, though I wonder how much of what happened you have caused rather than witnessed...

"
Ser Theomore, sitting by yourself? No woman to share time with you tonight?"
He walks over and gestures at the chair opposite to the Tullison knight. "
Do you mind if I sit down for a drink?"

"
That would be most rude, ser."
Theomore gives a bit of a tired smile..rest was for after, but he was getting a bit too old to be as energetic as he liked to be during these events. Might be Lord Lucas was willing to suffer a guest that needed some time to recover? "
So many thirsty mouths, and only wenches about are those serving them."


He gestures towards the closest chair with an open hand.

So many thirsty mouths, and only wenches about are those serving them.

"
A common problem when one is visiting a tavern, but judging from your reputation and the rumours here in Riverlands, it would be foolish to bet against you if there was but one girl present.."
his words accompanied by a smile, though it never reachs his eyes.

As if switching topics, Kevan looks around for a serving girl: "
I wonder what happened to the poor girl after the Furious' assault...at least the guilty got punished.."

Theomore's eyebrow makes a very slight movement to signal curiosity at Kevan's remark. He had a certain hunch about what it might stem from, but if he knew, he could bring it up, and if he didn't, Theomore was certainly not about to break the story. Oh, and by the way..I "
sampled"
the goods.

"
My lord nephew offered her shelter in the Tullison camp, though she did go back here once Ser Benjen were confined to the dungeons."
Theomore didn't quite know why, after all, it must all some less than pleasant memories.

A slight twitch of his eyebrow... all the reaction I get? Well, you know now that I know...

"
Lord Dunstan is a good man. The nobility and the smallfolk both have their roles to play;
the world is what it is, but it always pains me when it is the lowborn having to suffer from actions of those higher up..."


Kevan takes a sip from his beer.

"
You would fit right in among us Tullisons from the sound of it, ser."
Theomore quips approvingly, though the awkwardness building across the table had all the warning signs he didn't like in it. He pauses, clearly in some thought. If he suspect that...well, his words would make sense, but I should not give him the impression that the thought as much as has crossed my mind.

"
I do get the feeling that you have something on your mind?"
Theomore is extra conscious about appearing open to receive whatever Kevan feels like sharing. An issue out in the open would be much more easy to handle.

Kevan hesitates for a moment and raises his beer mug to his mouth once more before he answers.

"
Oh, more than just one thing Ser, the last days have been quite tumultous, for me personally but also for all the others present at this Tourney. I am not that used to think that way as others, who are more experienced, but its one of the things I learned in my days here as a squire here in Riverrun: Always consider all the consequences of an event. Who benefits, who loses?"


Another sip from the mug.

"
Let us take that last trial as an example. The Freys lose an infamous knight, the Blackwoods' honor is tarnished and a serving wench is traumatized for life... But what about the others? Who benefits from such an event?"

"
Well, I suppose I have some experience in the field of such speculation, ser. The knight I squired for made a habit of challenging my mind on such matters."
Among other things...Theomore doesn't elaborate, either Kevan knows who he squired for, it wasn't exactly a grand secret, or he doesn't. Mentioning the name tended to take attention away from other things. "
It requires a measure of cynicism some might consider unseemly for a man of compassion, that ser Benjen raped the girl matters only because someone saw fit to push the matter."


"
The lady Sofia did, by confronting him, his reaction severed the alliance between the twins and Raventree before it had fully been forged. My nephew did, driven by his outrage at what he did. Gods knows who else might have whispered in Lord Tully's ear, but we can speculate."


"
After he struck the lady, many interesting thoughts present themselves. An opportunity for all those who would like to see a wedge form between Frey and Blackwood, the Brackens, certainly, but do not discount the fact that both Frey and Blackwood have mutual friends at Dragonstone. Which of course means that there are others in King's Landing that would like nothing better than to see Ser Benjen face Ser Tyron in the trial."


"
By extension, others with friends at Dragonstone also stands to loose. Espescially those close to the Blackwoods to begin with, my sister-in-law happens to be Lady Sofia's aunt, for example. It was a good thing for those that men such as Ser Derrock, Ser Olyvar and Ser Jorah stepped forward to be the faith's champion."


Well, that and opportunists, though that sounds less like you and more like others in house Marsten that I know....

Kevan listens intently as Ser Theomore proved his wit and laid out some of the consequences of the trial.

You seem to be right at home in these kind of schemes and connections...

"
Your words show that you are indeed more experienced with such reflections than I am. All your explanations make sense and I think you are correct on them. Nevertheless, for all the beneficiaries one can name based on known connections between houses and nobles and past dealings, there probably are some not to be identified so easily... and these are probably the most imporant ones"


...and if they are willing to sacrifice a lowborn girl for their own gain, I should maybe look into what they are planning

"
Anyway, I don't want spend too much of your time, so I will take my leave. Take care, I am sure we will soon enough at another event"


Kevan raises his mug to Theomore and stands up from his chair.

"
Perhaps, ser, though it is quite the rare mystery where some unknown player takes a significant part. "
Theomore does not exactly understand what Kevan is alluding too, but he is married to the only other person knowing where the story of Ser Benjen's downfall began after all, a certain amount of caution is required "
There's room for opportunists of course, the fall of Ser Benjen leaves holes to fill, the hand of his former betrothed now free for pursuit..among other things, I'm sure."
The look Theomore gives Kevan is not one of accusation, merely an observation. "
Most of the time, things are precisely what they look like, uninteresting as that might be."


"
Oh, I shall not deny that much and more happened behind the scenes, I myself had a hand in arranging matters such that this trial would not give Frey and Blackwood more cause for feud than was given when Ser Benjen struck Lady Sofia, and I have made sure that those who stands to benefit from this work are aware that I did it."
Theomore pauses, almost time to put an end to the narrative, the end he wanted. "
Though there are things I did not see coming, septon fire and brimstone chief among them. What I can say for sure is that the schemes did not start before Ser Benjen had struck the lady Sofia, though mostly because nobody had time to start their plottings over the rape before the lady took action."


"
Unless the girl managed to fool us all, though sadly, I am rather certain that everything she said is true. Someone desiring the trial, or to give lady Sofia the pretext to provoke him, would not take the trouble of manipulating him into doing the deed. Luring him in by apparent consent and have a knight ready to act upon hearing the screams, much more likely to succeed, and considerably easier to control how it would go. It's been done before"
And it'll be done again.

Of course, that was one reason as to why Theomore had decided to attempt the more difficult route. "
With the fields of Rivverrun being depopulated, there are not so many to share my time with anymore, ser. So that is no trouble at all. Until next time."
though perhaps your lovely wife ought to receive a special gift to seep in some hot water? We wouldn't want to risk this one being given cause for suspicion, or a reminder if he already knows.